Manifold material pack



Get 19, 1939. J Q SHERMAN I MANIFOLD MATERIAL PACK Original Filed Sept. 28, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l TTORNEY Get. W, 1939. J. Q. SHERMAN MANIFOLD MATERIAL PACK Original Filed Sept. 28, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN'I'OR ,1 TIN/(N15 r Oct, 10, 1939 J. Q. SHERMAN ZJ75222 MANIFOLD MATERIAL PACK Original Filed Sept. 28, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE N0.565,591. Divided ust 28, 1936,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to manifolding material for use in a manifolding apparatus, and more particularly to the transfer sheets used in conjunction therewith. In its specific embodiment,

6 the invention relates to short length carbon or transfer sheets for use with continuous multiform or series connected stationery. This application is a division of application, Serial No. 565,- 591, filed September 28, 1931, for Automatic manifolding collator and carbon assembly and resulting in Patent No. 2,052,583.

It has heretofore been quitecommon practice to interleave continuous strips of multiple forms with like strips of one-time transfer or carbon material ordinarily of quite inferior quality, which after being once used is discarded. While such method effects great saving of time, it is expensive and involves a great waste of material and economic loss. As a substitute therefor, it has been proposed to employ packets of transfer material supported upon holders of various forms,

between which the record strips are threaded and which must be manually retracted and re-adjust ed between succeeding writing operations. Al-

: though affording fairly satisfactory results, such transfer packets have been found expensive to manufacture and diflicult to use, necessitating considerable loss of time and requiring skill and excessive manual effort by the operator.

The present invention provides an inexpensive method for overcoming the difliculties of prior methods by employing either separate transfer sheets or a group of sheets interconnected into unitary assembly, preferably at a lower corner 5 only, which, being initially interleaved between the superposed record strips in proper registry with the terminal printed forms or sheet sections to be inscribed, are fed through the writing machine in unison with the advance of the strips 0 and upon completion of the writing operation are held stationarily while the written portions of the strips are advanced therebeyond to the tear-off position to be detached from the supply strips.

Such advance movement of the strips independ- 5 ently of the stationarily held transfer material automatically positions the succeeding set of multi-forms or record sheets in registry with the transfer material. The transfer sheets being then released, the retractive movement of the advanced record strips to'writingposition will automatically retract the transfer sheets in unison' therewith preparatory to succeeding writing operation. Thus, afterthe transfer sheets have been initially positioned relative tothe super-;

'- "posed record strips, with'a reasonable amount of and this application Aug- Serial No. 98,353

care upon the part of the operator in advancing the strips independently of the transfer sheets to tear-off position, the registry of the transfer sheets with succeeding sets of forms or record sheets will be automatically maintained.

The object of the invention is to provide carbon or transfer sheets for use in conjunction with sheets of record material and a manifolding apparatus which will be more efiicient in use than the carbon or transfer sheets heretofore generally employed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of manifolding material which will be of low cost, capable of use separately or in unit assembly and operable with either friction 15 feed apparatus or pin type feeding devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide such transfer sheet assembly wherein the interposed record strips will be easily and readily accessible for correction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carbon or transfer material wherein the transfer and record material with which it is used, may be mechanically shifted relative to each other after each writing operation to present such transfer material in registry with the succeeding sets of multi-forms or record sheets, whereby registry of the transfer material with succeeding forms to be inscribed may be readily maintained.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view, as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention consists of the fea tures of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein is shown the preferred, but obviously not necessarily the only form of the embodiment of v the invention; r

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a typical form of manifolding writing machine, in this instance a conventional form of: typewriter having pin type feeding devices and a travelingsupply carrier for manifolding material, and representing a device in which manifolding material embodying the present invention maybe used I Fig. 2 is a top'plan viewof the writing machine carriage and the attachment mechanism, for adapting the writing machine to .use of manifolding material disclosed herein. 1

Fig.3 is a detail. sectional elevation;

Fig. 4 illustrates the preferred form of transfer sheet assembly, which may, howeven be formed either without or with them'arginallypunched holes for engagement of pin type feeding devices.

Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating a transfer sheet having margin holes of larger size than those ordinarily employed in the record strips to facilitate registry and also illustrating the provision of additional holes for engagement with arrester stops for automatically arresting the transfer material at the completion of the writing operation and holding the same during the advance of the strips tothe tear-off position which also efiects automatically the registry of the transfer sheets with the succeeding multi-form sets.

Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating the automatic stop device.

Fig. 7 is a further modification of the transfer sheets showing one end thereof reinforced by being reversely folded.

Figs. 8 and 9 are perspective views showing modified forms of carbon or transfer material sheets.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a supply packet of reversely folded record material with which the transfer sheets may be employed.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

While the present invention is applicable to use in manifolding apparatus of various forms, including typewriters, billing machines, autographic registers and other forms of recording devices, for illustrative purposes it will be herein shown and described as being used in a conventional form of typewriter l, the platen roll 2 of which has been provided with feed pins 3 for uniform feeding of marginally punched stationery in continuous strip form, supplied from a traveling carrier 4, operatively coupled to and reciprocating in unison with the typewriter platen carriage 5. Such traveling carriage provides a convenient storage place for folded superposed forms to prevent their disarrangement or mutilation as is likely to occur when placed loosely upon a table or desk.

The record material preferably comprises successions of forms or record sheets 6 interconnected end to end 'into continuous strip formation, the strips being superposed one upon another with succeeding forms or record sheets in registry with those of contiguous strips, the several superposed strips being transversely scored or perforated at spaced intervals for division into separate sheets or sections and preferably superfolded reversely in proximate relation with the transverse score lines into zig-zag formation forming a supply packet A as shown in Fig. 10 to be located in the traveling carriage 4.

'The transfer or carbon material I for use with such continuous interconnected stationery strips 6 comprises a plurality of sheets of approximately the lengthof the forms, or record sheets going to make up the packet, but of somewhat greater width than such strips whereby the transfer sheets 1 project marginally beyond the record strips at opposite sides thereof. 1

The transfer sheets I are preferably, though not necessarily, truncated or beveled at their lower comers as at Ia to facilitate the to and fro movement of the protruding ends of the sheets past contiguous portions of the writing machine structure. Such transfer sheets 'I may be employed in the present system separately or independently of each other, being interleaved be-. tween the superposed record strips in proper registry with the forms or record sheets to be inscribed. However for convenience the assembly of transfer sheets 1, of which there may be any number to correspond with the number of continuous record strips 6 being employed, may be interconnected into a unitary assembly by sewing, stapling or gluing such sheets along one margin thereof, leaving the opposite margins of the sheets free to facilitate their interleaved assembly between the superposed record strips. Such union of the several transfer strips comprising the unitary assembly is preferably, though not necessarily, effected at a lower corner only, thus permitting the transfer sheets 1 to be separated throughout substantially their full length or longitudinally of the strips to enable correction of mistakes on the typed forms.

It is not necessary nor essential that the present material or method of operation be employed in conjunction with pin wheel feed devices. The method and material are operable equally well with friction feed means as with pin wheel feed devices. In the event it is to be used with pin wheel feed mechanisms, the transfer sheets I are marginally punched as at 8 for engagement over the pins of the feeding device. Such punched feeding holes 8 necessarily register with like holes 9 in other sheets of the assembly. For convenience and rapidity of registry and to afford a Wider operating latitude thereby avoiding necessity for accurate adjustment preparatory to each writing operation, the marginally punched holes 8 may be somewhat larger size than the feeding pins and of larger size than the corresponding holes in the record strips 6 as illustrated at Ill, Fig. 5. This enables the feeding pins to extend through the holes ID in the transfer sheets and operatively engage the marginal punched holes 9 in the record strips liwithout necessity for exact concentric registration. This facilitates and increases the rapidity of operation and increases the life of the transfer sheets by permitting them to be shifted to slightly different positions relative to the writing lines. The interconnection of the transfer sheets 1 into unitary assembly by sewing or stapling as at H keeps the carbon or transfer sheets from shifting out of registry with each other and makes the assembly quickly available for replacement when the sheets have become worn. The truncated or beveled corners of the material tend to lead the protruding margins of the transfer sheets in their passage about the typewriter platen and insure freedom of movement without interference with parts of the writing machine structure.

To illustrate the use of a record material sheet assembly employing carbon or transfer sheets as herein shown, reference may be had to Figs. 1 and 2.

The carbon sheet assembly is disposed in interleaved relation with the continuous record strips 6 and in registry with the terminal forms or sheets to be inscribed, and in such relation is fed through the writing machine and around the platen roll 2 in the ordinary manner. Mounted upon the traveling carriage 5 of the typewriter is an upwardly and rearwardly extending guide plate ll which may also be employed as a Base for determining the length of strip material to be advanced at each operation and also as a tearoff edge or blade to facilitate the detachment of written portions of the strips upon transverse division lines. The guide plate I may be. rigidly supported upon the traveling carriage 5 by means of supporting brackets l5 and receives and supports the inscribed portions of the record strips 6 as they are progressively advanced by the feeding movement of the platen roll 2. Located at n each side of the guide plate l4 and beyond the margins of the record strips 6 are grippers or clamps I 6 which may be of any suitable type. The under jaws of the grippers l6 may be fixedly secured upon the guide plate l4 while the upper J'aws overhang the protruding margins of the transfer sheets 7. The grippers l6 are provided with outwardly extending operating arms ll which, in the form of embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are operatively engaged by rocking cams |8 fast upon a rock shaft l9 extending transversely of the apparatus and journaled in the supporting brackets |5a at opposite sides of the guide plate Id. The rock shaft I 9 is provided at one end with a handle 20 by which the shaft may be manually rocked to rotate the cams I 8 into and out of engagement with the arms H of the grippers or holders l6. Normally the grippers or holders are held in their open position and the protruding margins of the transfer sheets are free to travel relative thereto in unison with the advance movement of the record strips 6. This advance movement is effected solely by the platen roll or other-feeding devices of the writing machine which may be of any suitable type. The interleaved sheets 1 of transfer materialwill be carried forwardly in unison with the advance movement of the record strips 6 by interleaved advanced independently of the interleaved transfer sheets 1 stationarily held by the grippers l8 until the inscribed portion is projected beyond the upper margins of the transfer sheets and preferably though not necessarily beyond the upper marginal edge of the guide plate H, whereupon the inscribed portions of the strips are detachedupon the transverse division lines. The advance movement of the record strips 6 necessary to project the written portions thereof beyond the transfer sheets 1 and beyond the supporting plate I4, that is, into the tear-off position, has simultaneously and automatically advanced the succeeding form set or set of registering record sheets into registry with the interleaved transfer sheets which, during this time, have been held stationarily by the grippers Hi. In the case of marginally punched stationery for use with pin wheel feed devices, it is quite an easy matter by looking through the marginal perforations to the underlying guide plate l4 especially if the latter be of a distinctively different color, to determine whether or not the transfer sheets and the superposed record forms or sheets are in proper registry and if necessary make the proper adjustment by slight manipu1a- The fected by reverse operation of the platen roll 2 or feeding pin wheels as the case may be and during such movement the carbon or transfer sheets I will be uniformly retracted in unison with the retraction of the record strips by their interleaved contact therewith, which movement is, of course, insured by the engagement of the feeding pins 3 through the registering holes 8 or In in the event a pin wheel feed mechanism is employed. Thus the registry of the manifolding material with succeeding form sets is automatically maintained strictly by mechanical manipulation without the necessity of touching or adjusting the carbon sheets with the fingers. While the stripping or holding devices l6 may be of a length suflicient to engage the protruding protruding edges of the transfer sheets I, such sheets 1 may be provided with auxiliary holes 2| adjacent to their lower corners and within the protruding marginal portion. The guide plate l4 such case is provided with inclined stop fingers 22 positioned in the path of travel of the holes 2| as the transfer sheets I move over the guide plate I4. As the transfer sheets I approach their final position in overlapping relation with the guide plate I4, the stop fingers 22 enter the holes 2| in the sheets I, such holes being in registry with each other, and the sheets 1 are thereby arrested and held in such position while the continued operation of the strip feeding mechanism, whether the platen roll, pin feeding devices or other means, operates to advance the record strips 6 relative to the arrested transfer sheets, thus carrying the inscribed portions beyond the transfer sheets into the tear-off position. By this means no manual operation of the holding or gripping means is required. The transfer sheets are automatically arrested by the stop fingers 22 when the sheets have reached their final position and upon retractive movement of the record strips preparatory to the next Writing operation, the transfer sheets are disengaged from the arresting hooks or fingers 22 by their contact engagement with the record strips and are automatically returned therewith in registry with the terminal forms or sheets of the strips. It may be desirable, especially in the event the stop fingers 22 are employed, to reinforce the final or lower margins of the transfer sheets by vreversely folding such sheets upon themselves and preferably gluing them in such position. Such reinforcement is shown at 23 in Fig. 7.

For certain conditions of operation it may be desirable to have strip tensioning means for pulling and guiding the free end of the record strips, either as theyv are advanced during the writing operation or subsequently thereto during the advance of the strip to the tear-off position and the re-registering of the forms with the interleaved carbon or transfer sheets.

To provide for feeding of separate letter sheets in association with the superposed strips from which the inscribed matter is to be transferred to the underlying strips, the manifolding assembly, illustrated in Fig. 8, is provided with a marginal flap or flaps 24 at either one end or on one or both lateral margins, which fiap or flaps are secured to the assembly and extend inwardly between the feeding holes in the event pin feed devices are employed. One or-more margins of a letter sheet may be inserted beneath the flaps to hold the sheet in position and afford sufficient feeding traction. As the sheet passes about the platen roll it will be securely bound beneath the fiaps against displacement and will travel in unison with the strips past writing position. By this means separate letter heads may be employed without the necessity of assembly manifolding material therewith for each writing. The duplicate copy material and transfer sheets remain in the writing machine and it is only necessary to place in position the letter head or other sheet for an original copy. The duplicate copies may be torn off after each writing or the strips may be preserved intact and with the copies in continuous interconnected series. The flap may be attached to the uppermost transfer sheet on a line inwardly of the feeding holes to afford a limiting stop for the margin of the inserted sheet insuring its proper position relative to underlying manifolding forms, and restricted in size to present practically all of the letter sheet for writing purposes.

In Fig. 9 there is shown a modification wherein the successive portions of the transfer material are interconnected in fan fold" form and punched for engagement with the pin wheelfeed devices. In such arrangement the succeeding sections of material will necessarily be coated alternately on opposite sides and reversely folded in zig-zag formation at intervals sufficiently spaced that the folds and marginal edges along which may be disposed spaced feeding holes will project on opposite sides of the strips for engagement of the grippers l6.

While the invention has been described in association with a pin wheel feed device, it is not necessary that the material be punched, nor that a pin type feed member be employed.

Errors upon the written forms may be conveniently corrected by holding the transfer sheets and feeding the strips relative thereto until the area to be corrected is advanced beyond the transfer sheets whereupon the transfer sheets and registering portion of the strips are retracted around the platen by reverse feeding until the portions containing the error to be corrected overlie the plate l4 beyond the platen, Without interleaved carbon sheets, in position easily accessible for making corrections. After completion of correction the strips and transfer sheets are advanced in unison until the transfer material is positioned beyond the platen, where I the transfer sheets are held stationarily while the form strips are retracted to bring the corrected set of forms into registry with the transfer assembly, when upon release of the transfer material both the form strips and the transfer assembly are retracted in unison into writing position.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided an improvement of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage. before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An assembly of transfer material sheets to be interleaved with continuous length strips of series connected record material forms to produce a manifolding pack wherein indicia imprinted on the topmost form will be simul: taneously reproduced on the forms thereunder, including a plurality of transfer material sheets greater in transverse width than the transverse width of the forms and of a length substantially equal to that of the forms wherebythe lateral margins of the transfer sheets project beyond the lateral margins of the forms when interleaved therewith, the transfer sheets being fixedly interconnected adjacent one marginal edge and being otherwise marginally free, having openings in the lateral margins thereof which project beyond the lateral margins of the forms and in which stop means for arresting advance movement of the transfer sheets may engage, and having at least one of their corners truncated on diagonal lines to facilitate to and fro movement of the transfer sheets past contiguous portions of a writing machine structure.

2. An assembly of transfer material sheets to be interleaved with continuous length strips of series connected record-material forms having therein longitudinally spaced holes for engagement by a pin type feeding means to produce a manifolding pack wherein indicia imprinted on the topmost form will be simultaneously repromarginal edge'but otherwise marginally free, and

having at least one of their corners truncated on diagonal lines.

3. An assembly of transfer material sheets to be interleaved with continuous length strips of series connected record material forms having therein longitudinally spaced holes for engagement by a pin type feeding means to produce a manifoldingpack wherein indicia imprinted on the topmost form will be simultaneously reproduced on the forms thereunder, including a plurality of transfer material sheets greater in transverse widththan the transverse width of the forms and of a length substantially equal to that of the forms whereby the lateral margins'of the transfer sheets project beyond the lateral margins of the forms when interleaved therewith, longitudinally spaced holes in the transfer'material sheets corresponding to but larger than the longitudinally spaced holes in the forms, the

transfer material sheets being fixedly interconnected adjacent one marginal edge but otherwise marginally free, and having at least one of their corners truncated on diagonal lines.

4. An assembly of transfer material sheets to be interleaved with continuous length strips of series connected record material forms having therein longitudinally spaced holes for engagement by a pin type feeding means to produce a manifolding pack wherein indicia imprinted on the topmost form will be simultaneously reproduced on the forms thereunder, including a plurality of transfer material sheets greater in transverse width than the transverse width of the forms and of a length substantially equal to that of the forms whereby the lateral margins of the transfer sheets project beyond the lateral margins of the forms when interleaved therewith, longitudinally spaced holes in the transfer material sheets corresponding to the longitudinally spaced holes in the forms, the transfer material sheets being fixedly interconnected adjacent one marginal edge but otherwise marginally free, and having at least one of their corners truncated on diagonal lines, and means for detachably interconnecting a record material sheet separate from the strips of series connected forms with the uppermost of the transfer material sheets for unison feeding travel with the interleaved forms and transfer material sheets.

5. An assembly of transfer material sheets to be interleaved between continuous superposed strips of record material having therein longitudinally spaced holes for engagement by pin type feeding means and relative to which the assembly of transfer material sheets are longitudinally adjustable into transfer relation with succeeding portions of the strips and by means of which indicia imprinted on the topmost strip will be simultaneously reproduced upon underlying strips, including a plurality of relatively short transfer sheets of greater width than the transverse width of the strips and projecting laterally beyond at least one margin of the assembly of superposed strips, said transfer sheets being fixedly connected -to each other with a portion thereof projecting beyond the record strips, and each sheet having longitudinally spaced registering holes in the respective sheets to be registered with succeeding groups of longitudinally spaced holes of the record strips by the relative shifting adjustment of the transfer sheets for simultaneous feeding engagement of pin type feeding means in the holes in the record strips and the holes on the interleaved transfer sheets.

6. In a manifolding assembly, wherein a plurality of superposed sheets of transfer material interleaved between continuous strips of record material provided with longitudinally spaced holes for engagement of pin type feeding means are intermittently shifted longitudinally of the strips for repetitious use in manifolding relation with succeeding portions of the record strips, a plurality of relatively short sheets of transfer material interleaved between the record strips and fixedly connected one to another independently of the record strips, the plurality of transfer sheets'having therein longitudinally spaced registering holes to be registered with succeeding groups of longitudinally spaced holes of the strips by the relative shifting movement thereof for simultaneous engagement of a pin type feeding device in the holes of the strips and transfer sheets for positive unison advancement thereof. ,7. In a manifolding assembly wherein a plurality of superposed transfer material sheets interleaved between continuous superposed record strips having longitudinally spaced holes therein are intermittently adjusted longitudinally of the strips for repetitious use in manifolding relation with succeeding portions thereof, a plurality of relatively short sheets of transfer material interleaved between continuous record strips, the transfer material sheets having holes therein adapting the sheets for engagement in relatively fixed relation with the superposed record strips by an element independent of the transfer material sheets and record strips and projectible through the holes in the transfer sheets and record strips for unison movement during advancement of the strips, said holes enabling disengagement of said strips from said element at the limit of such unison advance movement by withdrawal of the element from the holes in the transfer sheets and record strips preparatory to relative shifting movement into registry with a succeeding portionof the record strip assembly. 8. A manifolding assembly wherein a plurality of superposed transfer material sheets are longitudinally adjustable for repetitious use in interleaved relation between superposed record strips having therein longitudinally spaced holes, including a plurality of relatively short transfer sheets to be interleaved between superposed continuous record strips, the transfer sheets having therein longitudinally spaced registering holes registerable with longitudinally spaced holes in succeeding portions of the record strips through which coupling means may be introduced to positively connect the transfer sheets and strips for unison advance movement.

- JOHN Q. SHERMAN. 

